Rubbish collections could soon be fortnightly across Melbourne

THOUSANDS of Aussies are kicking off over an idea to change rubblish collections, but it’s all because we’re thowing too much of a certain thing away.

RUBBISH collections across Melbourne could soon become fortnightly because of a push from a state government agency.

However, the bold bid to reduce food waste ending up in landfill has already been met with opposition from residents who are concerned by the amount of waste generated and left on the kerb side under a fortnightly pick up.

Morning TV angry man Karl Stefanovic even fired up about the proposed changes, saying he was “firmly on the side of the Melburnians on this”.

“I don’t want every two weeks,” he said on the Today show this morning. “Mine smells to high heavens.

“The council won’t reduce the amount that they charges. They are hopeless councils. There has been potholes in my street since 1978 and they want to decrease the work they do.”

Hundreds of Melburnians have taken to social media this morning, saying the move would encourage illegal dumping and stink up the city’s streets.

The controversial push is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The reaction stems from a recommendation from the Victoria government’s Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group which says food and garden waste should be collected in special bins weekly, and converted to compost.

And, as part of this, standard weekly rubbish collections would become fortnightly.

It looks as though the move is gaining traction too, as some councils across Melbourne are beginning to consult ratepayers about the controversial move.

In its report, called Introducing a Kerbside Food and Garden Organics Collection Service , the agency says strong action must be taken to reduce food scraps waste — after more than a third of the 878,000 tonnes of Melbourne rubbish sent to landfill last year.

Karl Stefanovic doesn’t like the plan one bit. Picture: Today

“Decomposition produces odours, leachate and greenhouse gases which can adversely affect community amenity, the environment and public health,” the report states.

“Managing these issues at landfills is a long-term economic, social and environmental imposition on current and future generations.”

Looking at Glen Eira City Council in the city’s southeastern suburbs, the report showed that, last year, food waste was responsible for 79 per cent of the area’s greenhouse gas emissions from waste.

It shows that councils remove garden refuse from more than a million metropolitan homes. However, only five municipalities run a service to remove food waste: Nillumbik, Moonee Valley, Wyndham, Hume and Glen Eira.

The report shows Victorians are throwing way too much food waste away.

Throwing food waste in the bin produces greenhouse gases.

The report said the best-performing waste systems used fortnightly garbage and weekly food and garden organics collection services.

“This responds to concerns about restricted garbage bin capacity and unsorted waste rotting in (an organics) bin for two weeks,” it said.

“If weekly garbage is maintained, then financial incentives can be considered to reduce the garbage bin size and place the garbage bin out less frequently.”

However, the move has not been welcomed by everyone.

Gideon Rozner from free-market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs, told the Herald Sun councils should keep existing services.

However, Melbourne Deputy Mayor Arron Wood said the city council had no current plans to change its rubbish collection service.